Ammunition belt for machine guns



Aug. 22, 1944. c. G. TRIMBACH AMMUNITION BELT FOR MACHINE G'UNS Filed June 26, 1942 Patented Aug. 22, 1944 AlWlVIUNITION BELT FOR MACHINE GUNS Clem G. Trimbach', Eggertsville, N. Y., assignor to Erie Resistor Corporation, Erie, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 26, 1942, Serial No. 448,611

4 Claims.

This invention is intended to improve ammunition belts for machine guns and particularly the link structure of such belts. Such devices as commonly made have metal spring clips for yieldingly securing cartridges in the belts and also for connecting one link with another. As exemplified, the present invention is formed of cast plastic material and the links are formed in complete annuli of such material.

In the running of these belts a certain amount of flexibility in the nature of twisting is desirable, and the present invention is particularly designed to improve the belt in this respect. This is accomplished by flaring the opening of the connecting ring of the link outwardly from the center of the ring. Thus there is a comparatively close running t at the center of the ring to maintain the centers throughout the belt but at the same time the flaring surfaces permit of the twisting of the links relatively to each other which, added to the resilience of the material in this respect, gives angular freedom of the links one to another as they are run, thus assuring a smoother action as they are passed through the mechanism of the gun. Features and details of the invention will appear more fully from the specification and claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing as follows:

Fig. 1 shows a front elevation of a belt formed in accordance with the invention and loaded with cartridges.

Fig. 2 an end elevation of a fragment of the belt.

Fig. 3 an enlarged View of a link.

Fig. 4 a section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 an enlarged end view of a body ring forming a part of a link.

I marks a body ring of a link, adapted to receive the body of a cartridge, 2 a neck ring of a link adapted to receive the neck of a cartridge, these rings being in axial alignment and spaced apart, 3 a connecting link offset and joining the body and neck rings, the connecting link being adapted to enter the space between the body and neck rings of the next adjoining link in a belt. Cartridges 4 are extended through the rings l and 2, the neck ring 2 being adapted to conform to the neck of the cartridge, and the body ring I being adapted to receive the body of the cartridge.

The body ring l is provided with projections in the form of ribs 5 on its inner surface and the ring 2 may also be provided with projections in the form of ribs 6. These ribs project inwardly to a position slightly Within the dimension of a cartridge so that as the cartridge is forced into place in the ring the walls of the rings are flexed outwardly at the projections and inwardly between the projections as shown in Fig. 5. The amount of flexing and the resilience of the material may be controlled to give exactly the right holding resistance to the cartridge and the tolerances may be so closely held that this resistance is maintained with great uniformity.

It will be noted from the section in Fig. 4 that the opening of the ring 3 is flaring from the center outwardly. The dimension of the center is designed to make a smooth running fit on the body of the cartridge so as to form the link joint with a succeeding link and to maintain the belt centers so that registry may be assured with the gun mechanism as the belt is operated in the gun. The aring surfaces per-- mit a side swinging of the ring 3 on the body of the cartridge and this side swinging permits a twisting and lateral yielding of the belt within controlled limits and thus assures a smoother and more even running of the belt through the gun.

The forming of the ring of cast plastic material lends itself to giving to the inner surface of the ring these aring surfaces without adding to the expense in fabricating the link and provides dem'te uniformity so that the movement permitted by the flaring shape of the opening is controlled.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a link for ammunition belts for machine guns comprising cartridge receiving rings in axial alignment and spaced apart axially, and a tubular connecting ring offset from and joining the cartridge receiving rings and providing a connecting means to a similar succeeding link, the inner surface of said connecting ring being ared axially and outwardly.

2. In a link for ammunition belts for machine guns comprising cartridge receiving rings in axial alignment and spaced apart axially, and an annular tubular connecting ring offset from and joining the cartridge receiving rings and providing a connection means to a similar succeeding link, the inner surface of said connecting ring being flared axially and outwardly.

3. In a link for ammunition belts for machine guns comprising cartridge receiving rings in axial alignment and spaced apart axially, and a tubular connecting ring offset from and joining the cartridge receiving rings and providing a connecting means to a similar succeeding link, the inner surface of said connecting ring being flared axially and outwardly, and said ring being formed of cast plastic material.

4. In a link for ammunition belts for machine guns comprising cartridge receiving rings in axial alignment and spaced apart axially, and an annular tubular connecting ring offset from and joining the cartridge receiving rings and providing a connecting means to a similar succeeding link, the inner surface of said connecting ring being flared axially and outwardly, and said ring being formed of cast plastic material,

CLEM G. TRIMBACH. 

